Understanding ECE Workforce Needs in Massachusetts

Author: Pia Caronongan

Project Summary

Expanding access to early care and education (ECE) in Massachusetts depends on having enough educators to staff it. This brief lays out a framework for estimating how many educators the state needs under different capacity expansion scenarios, accounting for licensing ratios, program setting, and annual turnover. Produced through WEPC’s ongoing partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), it applies that framework to an illustrative scenario adding 20,000 licensed seats over four years.

Key Findings

• For every educator added to the workforce, four more must be recruited to replace those who leave the sector.
• In 2024, roughly 17% of center-based teachers left their programs, and about 6% of family child care (FCC) programs closed.
• Workforce growth requires both recruitment and retention. Efforts to reduce turnover can be as consequential as efforts to attract new educators into the field.